China restricting video-gaming

China is now banning video gaming for minors below 18 years old. They can now only play three hours each week and even a certain times. Now the implementation details are still not certain yet, but it probably has to do with your social ID that is connected to the gaming accounts.

What do I think of this?

Well, limitations on what a child or teenager can do are unwanted. To reach fulfillment in life, I truly believe you have discovered what your goals are. Thus you need to have the freedom to do whatever you want. For some, that could be a profession in the video gaming industry. Whether it is a game developer, designer, story-writer, or esports player it doesn't matter.

But video gaming is addictive. I've been addicted to it before. Did it ruin or slow down my life? Maybe, I,m honestly not sure. When I quit karate at 14 years old, I went straight to video gaming. I played some video games here and there before but wasn't that addicted to them before. But then between 12 and 19 years old, I played so many videogames. Frequently four-five hours almost every day.

Now that I reflect on it, there were only a few moments that I truly appreciate and am proud of it. From achieving the top 0.1% of best players in certain games to meeting long-life friends to becoming proficient in English, to the many laughs I've had.

But was it worth it? No. Probably wasted so much time trying new things. New sports, new clubs, new friend groups, new languages, or other things. I could probably spend my time and energy building something in real life rather than becoming the top 0.1% in a videogame back when you wouldn't get paid for it.

The majority probably also won't reach that level anyway.

Should video gaming have been banned from me? Most probably yes honestly. I truly believe I could have spent my time on better things. Do I regret it? Nah, not really. I did enjoy the time I had.

Is China doing the right by banning video gaming for minors? I think for the majority yes. But we will only see the results after a decade. For the foreseeable future, it won't change the videogaming industry, but later, it may have a sizable impact.